The Mixed Methods Proposal: A Practical Guide for Beginning Researchers in the Social Sciences

• In Event: Pedagogical Considerations for Addressing Advancements in Mixed Methods Research: Reflections From Authors in the Field

Abstract

For most graduate students, the first piece of research they are solely responsible for is their thesis/dissertation proposal. As such, this phase of professional development is challenging and many students will need guidance and scaffolding to be successful in the development of their first research proposal. This task can be made even more challenging if the graduate students’ research questions focus their research methods towards the use of mixed methods designs. Thus, the purpose of our book (XXX, in progress) and this presentation is to provide the beginning researcher in the social sciences (e.g. education, psychology, sociology, management, public health, etc.) with a practical guide to assist with the development of their mixed methods research proposal. In this book we lay out the steps a novice researcher would go through, from the beginning to the end, in the process of writing a successful mixed methods research proposal. This book will intertwine the description of the components of a research proposal with a discussion of the essential elements of mixed methods research. To assist the readers with the development of their own mixed methods research proposal, each chapter will include guiding questions, activities, and a list of suggested readings. In addition, we provide examples from a real-world mixed methods research proposal/study.

Specifically, we focus on what we see as the important elements of a research proposal and how that proposal connects with mixed methods research approaches. Our perspective is that research questions are key to the process of writing a successful mixed methods research proposal. We emphasize how the readers’ research questions will emerge over time from their worldviews, their understanding of the research literature, their area of interest, as well as their statement of the problem. Thus, because we see research questions as a core component of the mixed methods research proposal, we provide guidelines, procedures, and training exercises for writing useful research questions in the book. We emphasize that the components of a research proposal are interrelated and that the process of writing a research proposal is iterative. We also demonstrate how the readers’ emerging research questions can be used to guide their review of the literature and the development of their theoretical framework. In other words, their research questions can provide them with the focus they will need to clarify and understand their theoretical framework; which in turn, in iterative fashion, their literature review and theoretical framework will also help them to adjust or change their emerging research questions. We also stress that the readers’ research questions help them choose what mixed method design is most appropriate. Finally, because of the interdependent nature of a successful mixed method research proposal, in the book we highlight how the introduction, literature review, and methods sections of the readers’ proposal work together in useful and practical ways.

Authors

• Jessica T. Decuir-Gunby, North Carolina State University

• Paul A. Schutz, The University of Texas - San Antonio